the joy in supporting nonpartisan analysis of California politics and policy

T-6: Jerry Brown has not begun the process of filing for reelection.

The holier-than-thou crowd is pushing for Rod Wright to be forced from office as soon as possible, even though state law is clear that it shouldn't happen until trial court sentencing (Gov't Code 1770). Yes, by fibbing about where he "domiciled," the senator did the equivalent of driving 65 in a 55 zone, which turns out to be a felony. Those calling for his expulsion care nothing about the case, but just want one fewer seersucker suit and Democrat votes and are happy to deprive his very liberal district of representation during the time it takes to hold a special election to elect a similarly voting replacement. And, there are holier-than-thou folks on the left that are happy to see him go as he's one of the most moderate members of the Democratic caucus.

Of course, everyone knows that Mimi Waltersdid the same thing while she tried to sell her house in her old district and rented a 570 square foot apartment in her newly reconfigured district. Both cast votes supporting their districts, and should be eligible to serve for that reason.

"Prosecutorial discretion" is a remarkable thing, and the Los Angeles D.A. likes to focus on political corruption, while Orange County's D.A. likes to focus on black youth pulling pranks that lots of wealthy white youth growing up around me did over the years while working at Disneyland. Meanwhile, we have a candidate for governor who has a penchance for running afoul of gun laws--perhaps enjoyingly so to reiterate his support for the Second Amendment.

It's time to get rid of the silly "domicile" requirement for state office and be consistent with rules for congressional offices, and take away the authority for our district attorneys to waste limited taxpayer dollars to play "gotcha." Let voters decide who they want to represent them. If Tom McClintock and Dan Lungren want to run in districts far from home, let them. If Rod Wright is a couple of miles out of the district and the voters choose him, so be it.

Meanwhile, if there are other ticky-tack laws, get rid of them too. We have plenty of public safety and legitimate public corruption issues for our prosecutors to focus on.

And, yes, I'm pissed that Tim Donnelly got pre-check while I'm still waiting to get an appointment.

FAIR WARNING: Staffers, beware what your member might be doing during an important, albeit boring, speech.

MY BABY, SHE WROTE ME A LETTER: As a whopping 0.5 inches of rain fell on Sactown leading to e-mail alerts from media outlets (and horrific driving in San Diego), the California Economic Summit leaders sent a letter to Governor Brown about dealing with the drought.

POST-REDEVELOPMENT WORLD: Baby I loved and wooed you with big bucks, but I don't get the benefit anymore and, well, you smell.

The California Optometric Association seeks a Grassroots Manager to mobilize members, patients and the public in support of COA's legislative and political action agenda. Salary DOE. Send cover letter/resume and salary requirements to employment@coavision.org

California Senior Legislature - You can help keep this essential organization in business by making a tax deductible contribution on your state tax form 504, sheet 4 under Contributions. This is the only way the CSL is funded and will help the 120 senior legislators continue to research and write legislation impacting our aging population! Check out www.4csl.org for more information.

Oil Production and the Drought: We Get It. As the nation's third biggest producer of crude oil, California plays an important role in keeping the state's economy and population on the move and thriving. But that doesn't mean it gets a pass when it comes to adapting to drought conditions. Oil companies are doing their part to conserve, recycle and reduce the water they use to produce oil and refine petroleum products. Understanding how they are doing that requires a short course on water and oil.

Join tons of friends and former staff of Senator Sheila Kuehl on Thursday, February 27th 5:30pm-7:30pm, in support of Sheila’s campaign for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Sheila will be at the party to talk and answer all your questions. Office of Sacramento Advocates, Esquire Building, 1215 K Street, #2030, Sacramento, CA 95814. For more information and to RSVP.

Pacific McGeorge is hosting information sessions about its Master of Science in Law (M.S.L.) and J.D. part-time degree programs for working professionals: Feb. 26 and March 11, 5-6 p.m. at Hyatt Sacramento. Register online.

The American Heart Association is seeking a Government Relations Director to develop, plan and direct an advocacy program for California through maximizing strategic relationships with public and elected officials, the state health department, and others, to ensure activities and efforts are directed towards issues related to its mission. Salary $58,000 - $76,300. Apply here

A quarter more local government employees retired in January than in the same month a year ago, according to CalPERS data, signaling that pension policy, politics and litigation are leading jittery city, county and special district workers to leave their jobs.

One day after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg announced state Sen. Rod Wright will take an indefinite paid leave of absence, three Republican senators said they will push for Wright's expulsion during the upper house's next regular floor session, on Thursday.

Gay rights advocates have denounced the legislation, labeling it a form of legalized discrimination, and Arizona's two GOP senators and leading Republican candidates for governor urged Brewer to veto the bill. Even a few GOP state legislators who voted for the measure now say it is not the right thing to do.

The supes, who are happy to weigh in on gay rights issues in Arizona, staged a bicker fest over an innocuous idea to allow city departments to prepare an objective report on a June ballot measure. The measure would require a citywide vote to build anything on the waterfront that exceeds an established height limit. For the 8 Washington condominium project on the ballot last fall, opponents tagged the project as the "wall on the waterfront." [...] it wasn't on the waterfront, several nearby buildings are much taller, and a barricade of pier buildings already blocks the view. [...] what it means is that every single project on the waterfront would need a citywide vote, regardless of what the Planning Commission, Port of San Francisco, Board of Supervisors or any other city agency decides. If the height limitation passes, it will affect building from Fisherman's Wharf to Hunters Point. Fine, except that one of the biggest proposed developments in the pipeline is the Giants' Mission Rock project (previously approved - unanimously - by the Board of Supervisors) that would bring shops, restaurants, housing and business to the booming Mission Bay neighborhood.

When Jim Hellmold decided to run for sheriff of Los Angeles County last month, he knew that one of the first things his campaign needed was a website. He figured JimHellmoldForSheriff.com would make the most sense.

Thirty-one current and former UC Berkeley students filed a federal complaint Wednesday morning alleging the university has mishandled sexual assault cases on campus, creating a hostile environment for female students.

One day after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg announced state Sen. Rod Wright will take an indefinite paid leave of absence, three GOP senators said they will push for Wright&#x2019;s expulsion during today&#x2019;sThursday&#x2019;s floor session.

The law, now implemented only in Nevada and Yolo counties, allows judges to order outpatient treatment for people with a record of failed mental health hospitalizations and of violence. Advocates see it as a way to help people who won't help themselves and ensure they take medication, but critics warn of a system ripe for civil rights abuses. The Board of Supervisors was asked to consider implementing a Laura's Law pilot program, compelling a maximum of five people to accept mental health treatment. Another critic was Christina Murphy, a 35-year-old woman who said she overcame a lifelong struggle with misdiagnosed mental illnesses and overmedication thanks to anger management classes and support groups. Passionate pleaShe turned to her opponents at Tuesday's hearing, many wearing the bright yellow shirts of the county's Pool of Consumer Champions, a group of Alameda County constituents advocating for mental health, and noted their success in battling mental illness. In the proposed Alameda County pilot program, up to five people could enter court-ordered treatment only after all other efforts failed, said Alex Briscoe, who directs the county's Health Care Services Agency. [...] on the table on Tuesday were nine other recommendations for improving mental health care, including an expansion of outreach teams, peer support and intensive case management services. Aaron Chapman, interim director of the county's behavioral health services agency, said he and other health officials were hoping for more direction from the board.

Gay rights advocates had denounced the legislation, labeling it a form of legalized discrimination, and Arizonaâs two GOP senators and leading Republican candidates for governor had urged Brewer to veto the bill. Several GOP state legislators who had voted for the measure last week have said since then that it was not the right thing to do.

After a meeting that lasted until dawn Wednesday, the UCLA undergraduate student government voted against a measure that would have urged the UC system to sell off stocks of companies that do business with the Israeli military and profit from Israel&rsquo;s occupation of Palestinian territories.

People who adopt shelter pets would get a state tax refund up to $100 under a bill in the California legislature. Supporters of the measure say it would help save animal lives, save public money and offset adoption fees.

A federal judge declared a same-sex marriage ban in deeply conservative Texas unconstitutional on Wednesday, but will allow the nation's second-most populous state to enforce the law pending an appeal that will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The chairman of the Republican-led House of Representatives&#x2019; tax-writing panel proposed on Wednesday the first complete overhaul of the nation&#x2019;s tax code since 1986, a plan that both political parties are likely to debate throughout this election year.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Wednesday he has formed an advisory council on international trade, appointing as its chairwoman Eleni Kounalakis, the businesswoman and daughter of Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopoulos.

Wright was removed as chairman after a jury last month found him guilty of eight felonies including voter fraud and perjury for lying when he signed forms indicating that he lived in his Senate district when he ran for office.

The Republican chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee proposed a bold but politically hazardous overhaul of the nation’s tax laws Wednesday that would jettison hundreds of popular tax breaks in favor of a simpler code with lower rates.